abuse

[A*buseĀ·]

If you abuse someone, it means you are hurting that person, mentally, emotionally, or physically. If someone else is harming you, you are yourself suffering from abuse.

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To put to a wrong use; to misapply; to misuse; to put to a bad use; to use for a wrong purpose or end; to pervert; as, to abuse inherited gold; to make an excessive use of; as, to abuse one's authority.

Noun
cruel or inhumane treatment

Noun
improper or excessive use

Noun
a rude expression intended to offend or hurt; "when a student made a stupid mistake he spared them no abuse"; "they yelled insults at the visiting team"

Verb
change the inherent purpose or function of something; "Don''t abuse the system"; "The director of the factory misused the funds intended for the health care of his workers"

Verb
use foul or abusive language towards; "The actress abused the policeman who gave her a parking ticket"; "The angry mother shouted at the teacher"

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Verb
treat badly; "This boss abuses his workers"; "She is always stepping on others to get ahead"


v. t.
To put to a wrong use; to misapply; to misuse; to put to a bad use; to use for a wrong purpose or end; to pervert; as, to abuse inherited gold; to make an excessive use of; as, to abuse one's authority.

v. t.
To use ill; to maltreat; to act injuriously to; to punish or to tax excessively; to hurt; as, to abuse prisoners, to abuse one's powers, one's patience.

v. t.
To revile; to reproach coarsely; to disparage.

v. t.
To dishonor.

v. t.
To violate; to ravish.

v. t.
To deceive; to impose on.

v. t.
Improper treatment or use; application to a wrong or bad purpose; misuse; as, an abuse of our natural powers; an abuse of civil rights, or of privileges or advantages; an abuse of language.

v. t.
Physical ill treatment; injury.

v. t.
A corrupt practice or custom; offense; crime; fault; as, the abuses in the civil service.

v. t.
Vituperative words; coarse, insulting speech; abusive language; virulent condemnation; reviling.

v. t.
Violation; rape; as, abuse of a female child.


Abuse

A*buse" , v. t. [imp. & p. p. Abused ; p. pr. & vb. n. Abusing.] [F. abuser; L. abusus, p. p. of abuti to abuse, misuse; ab + uti to use. See Use.] 1. To put to a wrong use; to misapply; to misuse; to put to a bad use; to use for a wrong purpose or end; to pervert; as, to abuse inherited gold; to make an excessive use of; as, to abuse one's authority.
This principle (if one may so abuse the word) shoots rapidly into popularity.
2. To use ill; to maltreat; to act injuriously to; to punish or to tax excessively; to hurt; as, to abuse prisoners, to abuse one's powers, one's patience. 3. To revile; to reproach coarsely; to disparage.
The . . . tellers of news abused the general.
4. To dishonor. "Shall flight abuse your name?" Shak. 5. To violate; to ravish. Spenser. 6. To deceive; to impose on. [Obs.]
Their eyes red and staring, cozened with a moist cloud, and abused by a double object.
Syn. -- To maltreat; injure; revile; reproach; vilify; vituperate; asperse; traduce; malign.

Abuse

A*buse" , n. [F. abus, L. abusus, fr. abuti. See Abuse, v. t.] 1. Improper treatment or use; application to a wrong or bad purpose; misuse; as, an abuse of our natural powers; an abuse of civil rights, or of privileges or advantages; an abuse of language.
Liberty may be endangered by the abuses of liberty, as well as by the abuses of power.
2. Physical ill treatment; injury. "Rejoice . . . at the abuse of Falstaff." Shak. 3. A corrupt practice or custom; offense; crime; fault; as, the abuses in the civil service.
Abuse after disappeared without a struggle..
4. Vituperative words; coarse, insulting speech; abusive language; virulent condemnation; reviling.
The two parties, after exchanging a good deal of abuse, came to blows.
5. Violation; rape; as, abuse of a female child. [Obs.]
Or is it some abuse, and no such thing?
Abuse of distress (Law), a wrongful using of an animal or chattel distrained, by the distrainer. Syn. -- Invective; contumely; reproach; scurrility; insult; opprobrium. -- Abuse, Invective. Abuse is generally prompted by anger, and vented in harsh and unseemly words. It is more personal and coarse than invective. Abuse generally takes place in private quarrels; invective in writing or public discussions. Invective may be conveyed in refined language and dictated by indignation against what is blameworthy. C. J. Smith.

To put to a wrong use; to misapply; to misuse; to put to a bad use; to use for a wrong purpose or end; to pervert; as, to abuse inherited gold; to make an excessive use of; as, to abuse one's authority.

Improper treatment or use; application to a wrong or bad purpose; misuse; as, an abuse of our natural powers; an abuse of civil rights, or of privileges or advantages; an abuse of language.

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Usage Examples

As an actor, you just want to work, and then you just want to be on a show or have a job that you love, and you hope that job will last - those things have happened. To have that platform to then talk about something that is very personal to me like marriage equality, it feels like a gift. I try and really respect that voice and not abuse it.

But constant experience shows us that every man invested with power is apt to abuse it, and to carry his authority as far as it will go.

Humans have a fraught relationship with beasts. They are our companions and our chattel, our family members and our laborers, our household pets and our household pests. We love them and cage them, admire them and abuse them. And, of course, we cook and eat them.

Any informed borrower is simply less vulnerable to fraud and abuse.

Bush sees the evil as out there in the wider world, residing in people who 'hate freedom'. Look at his immediate response to the pictures of prisoner abuse this is not what Americans do, these are not our values.

Democracy is an abuse of statistics.

Honesty, integrity, and accountability, the values, which should be the hallmark of this government, have instead been thrown under the bus by an arrogant majority, casualties in a misguided campaign to shield from accountability those who abuse this House.

Misspelled Form

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Other Usage Examples

Every American, regardless of their background, has the right to live free of unwarranted government intrusion. Repealing the worst provisions of the Patriot Act will reign in this gross abuse of power and restore to everyone our basic Constitutional rights.

Every year the Federal Government wastes billions of dollars as a result of overpayments of government agencies, misuse of government credit cards, abuse of the Federal entitlement programs, and the mismanagement of the Federal bureaucracy.

Abuse of words has been the great instrument of sophistry and chicanery, of party, faction, and division of society.

Child abuse and neglect offend the basic values of our state. We have a responsibility to provide safe settings for at-risk children and facilitate permanent placement for children who cannot return home.

Drug abuse is a medical disease that requires medical professionals.

Anyone entrusted with power will abuse it if not also animated with the love of truth and virtue, no matter whether he be a prince, or one of the people.

Countries across the world are taking action now to help them track paedophiles and terrorists who abuse new technology to plot their horrific crimes.

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